Tag Archives: tariffs

MSNBC: Maddow Blog | Trump prefers to play make-believe amid discouraging news on inflation

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As inflation inches higher and consumer prices climb, the president is resorting to a familiar tactic: He’s making stuff up.

For Americans concerned about inflation and consumer costs, recent developments have been discouraging. Two weeks ago, for example, the public learned that the Consumer Price Index climbed unexpectedly in June, amid signs that Donald Trump’s trade tariffs were pushing prices higher.

This week, the disappointing news continued as the Commerce Department reported the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — a metric that’s closely watched by the Federal Reserve for evidence of inflation — is also climbing, and as The New York Times reported, the data represented “the latest sign that President Trump’s tariffs are starting to bleed through into consumer prices.”

Then Trump sat down with New York Post columnist Miranda Devine and made a rather specific claim, not only about the key economic issue, but about his perceived successes.

“You know, if you think, inflation, I’ve already taken care of,” the president claimed. “Prices are way down for everything — groceries, everything.”

Certainly this is the official White House line, with a variety of administration officials pushing nearly identical rhetoric.

But reality won’t budge. As the Trump administration’s own data shows, grocery costs have gone up since the president returned to the Oval Office, not down.

A couple of weeks ago at a White House event for a Republican audience, Trump said Democrats “lie” when they say the prices of food and groceries have gone up, but as a CNN report noted soon after, “Nonsense. It’s correct, not a lie, to say overall prices, grocery prices and food prices in general are up during this presidency.”

This was one of the critical issues of the 2024 race, and the Republican president is clearly failing — both to deliver the results he promised and to tell the truth about reality.

Throughout last year, then-candidate Trump was repeatedly asked about his plan to lower consumer prices. Common sense suggested he would’ve prepared at least some kind of coherent answer, but that never happened. He simply said it would all work out wonderfully once he returned to power.

As prices climb, the president could acknowledge the facts and perhaps even accept some responsibility, but he prefers to play make-believe.

Trump prefers to play make-believe amid discouraging news on inflation
As inflation inches higher and consumer prices climb, the president is resorting to a familiar tactic: He’s making stuff up.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-prefers-play-make-believe-discouraging-news-inflation-rcna222243

Forbes: Trump Lashes Out At India And Russia’s ‘Dead Economies’ And Responds To Medvedev’s War Threat

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Topline

President Donald Trump lashed out at both Russia and India in a Truth social post at midnight on Thursday, as he doubled down on the 25% tariffs he placed on New Delhi—along with an unspecified “penalty” for its continued trade with Moscow—and attacked former Russian president and key Putin ally, Dmitry Medvedev, who warned that Trump’s ultimatums against his country were a “step towards war.”

Key Facts

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president wrote: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

Trump claimed the U.S. has done “very little business with India” as their Tariffs are “among the highest in the World,” and added: “Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.”

While announcing his plan to impose a 25% tariff on India, Trump pointed out that the country has “always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia” and is the “largest buyer” of Russian energy after China.

This was the first instance of the president following through with his threat to impose “secondary tariffs” on Russia’s key trading partners unless Moscow agrees to end its war in Ukraine.

Trump, however, didn’t specify what this penalty would entail.

What Do We Know About Trump’s Deadline For Russia?

Earlier this month, Trump threatened to impose 100% “secondary” tariffs on Russia, unless it managed to secure a deal to end the war in Ukraine in 50 days. These secondary tariffs would target countries like India and China, which are among Russia’s key trading partners. However, the president revised his deadline on Monday during his visit to Scotland and said Moscow now has 10 to 12 days to take steps towards ending its conflict with Ukraine.

What Has Medvedev Said About Trump’s Deadline For Russia?

When Trump announced the first deadline, Medvedev mocked it in a post on X, saying: “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.” After Trump shortened the deadline on Monday, Medvedev responded, tweeting: “Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia…He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!”

What Did Trump Say About Medvedev?

The president had not commented on Medvedev’s earlier post, but his Thursday midnight post appears to respond to the former Russian president’s “step towards war” remark. After pointing out that Russia and the U.S. do almost no business together, Trump said: “Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!” Medvedev, who had not shied away from nuclear saber-rattling in the past few years, has not yet responded to Trump’s remarks.

Theatrics and a complete lack of statesmanship!

Trump Hits Out Against Former Russian President’s War Threat—Doubles Down On India Tariff
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% tariff rate on Indian goods, along with an unspecified “penalty” for its continued trade relationship with Russia.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/07/31/trump-lashes-out-at-india-and-russias-dead-economies-and–responds-to-medvedevs-war-threat

Trump Lashes Out At India And Russia’s ‘Dead Economies’ And Responds To Medvedev’s War Threat
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% tariff rate on Indian goods, along with an unspecified “penalty” for its continued trade relationship with Russia.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-lashes-out-at-india-and-russia-s-dead-economies-and-responds-to-medvedev-s-war-threat/ar-AA1JD76k

Business Insider: Automakers are starting to reveal how much Trump’s tariffs are costing them

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  • Carmakers are tallying up an eye-watering bill from Trump’s tariffs.
  • Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis said it expected the levies on imported vehicles to cost it around $1.4 billion this year.
  • General Motors, Tesla, and VW have also reported big tariff hits in earnings in the past few weeks.

The auto industry is still trying to unravel a tangled tariff web, and the bill just keeps getting bigger.

Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis became the latest automaker to forecast a heavy hit from Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles on Tuesday.

The Chrysler maker said that it expected tariffs to cost it around €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) in the second half of this year, after a €300 million impact in the first half of 2025.

Stellantis, which builds Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models in its factories in Canada and Mexico, has been hit hard by the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on vehicles and car parts imported into the US.

Other automakers are also feeling the pain. General Motors, which builds models for the US market in Korea, Mexico, and Canada, said last week that the tariffs had cut $1.1 billion off its profits in the last quarter.

CEO Mary Barra said that GM was working to reduce its tariff exposure and build up its US manufacturing presence, but the company warned that the worst was still to come. GM estimated that the tariffs could cost it between $4 and $5 billion this year.

Trump’s recent trade deals have slashed the tariffs on importing cars from Japan and Europe to the US from 25% to 15%, but manufacturers still have to deal with a hodgepodge of import restrictions and fees.

The 25% tax on automobile parts means that even carmakers who build their cars in the US face a serious tariff headache.

Tesla, which has factories in California and Texas but still uses some imported components, told investors last week it incurred a tariff-related cost of $300 million in the previous quarter, with CFO Vaibhav Taneja warning that costs are likely to increase in the coming months.

European manufacturer VW also said last week it had suffered a $1.1 billion tariff-related hit in the first half of this year, while Swedish carmaker Volvo took a $1.2 billion impairment charge in part due to the escalating cost of the levies.

Experts and analysts have warned that many of the costs facing automakers will be passed on to US consumers in the form of higher car prices and fewer models.

A study by the Center for Automotive Research published in April found that the 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts would hike the cost of vehicles produced in the US by over $4,000 and imported vehicles by nearly $9,000.

Automakers are starting to reveal how much Trump’s tariffs are costing them
Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis became the latest automaker to forecast a heavy hit from Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles on Tuesday.

https://www.businessinsider.com/automakers-are-revealing-how-much-trumps-tariffs-are-costing-them-2025-7

Mirror: Trump interrupted by panicking UK Prime Minister for making ‘false’ allegation

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The leaders of the UK and US got into a small disagreement about estate taxes as Trump and Starmer met to discuss tariffs

President Donald Trump was swiftly interrupted by Keir Starmer as the UK Prime Minister attempted to correct him about inheritance taxes on farmers.

The pair met in Scotland on Monday to discuss tariffs, Gaza, and other topics. During a press conference, the president slammed inheritance taxes on farmers, claiming farmers in the US had been driven to suicide by high taxes on their farmhouses and estates. Trump, who made a massive Epstein files radio blunder, bragged about removing those taxes, and suggested Starmer do the same.

“We were losing a lot of farms to the banks because a loving mother and father would die and left their farm to their children or their child…but they had a 50% tax to pay, so the land would get valued and at a high number because some of the farms were valuable but they…couldn’t quantify it,” Trump said, which comes amid alarming fears over the president’s health due to an injury being spotted.

“And they go out and borrow money to pay the estate tax or the death taxes it’s called. And they’d overextend and they’d lose the farm and they commit suicide in many cases.”

Starmer interrupted the president as he took aim at Trump’s figures.

“No, no, no, our levels are nowhere near 50 percent, they’re not. We’ve just introduced where it’s paid over many years, let’s get an extra 2 percent a year over 10 years, so it’s not at those levels by any stretch of the imagination,” Starmer said.

“But the other thing that we’ve done, as you know, is make sure that we’ve got a pathway for farmers that actually increases their year-on-year income, which is the most important thing.”

Trump also had some advice to offer to his British counterpart on winning reelection – cutting taxes and going after illegal immigration. The two leaders are conducting discussions at Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland, where they’ve covered a broad spectrum of topics.

Trump’s guidance comes as Farage’s Reform UK maintains a solid advantage over Labour in polling data, according to The Independent.

When questioned about the race between Keir and Farage, Trump responded: “I don’t know the politics of it, I don’t know where they stand. I would say one’s slightly liberal, not that liberal, slightly, and the other one’s slightly conservative, but they’re both good men.”

Trump also reflected on how his unprecedented second state visit, scheduled for later this year, has never been done and reminisced about his last state visit in 2019 during his first term.

“It was one of the most beautiful evenings I’ve ever seen,” Trump said of his first visit. As he spoke about the pomp and ceremony of the evening, he said to Starmer, “Nobody does it like you people.”

Starmer, too, pointed out how the nation had never invited a U.S. president for a second state visit. “You can imagine just how special that’s going to be,” Starmer said.

It comes after a Trump family member revealed the latest chilling symptom of his cognitive decline and revealed he is “far gone”.

Trump interrupted by panicking UK Prime Minister for making ‘false’ allegation
The leaders of the UK and US got into a small disagreement about estate taxes as Trump and Starmer met to discuss tariffs

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/trump-interrupted-panicking-uk-prime-1295386

Alternet: ‘We have been seriously hit’: The Trump economy is coming for your coffee

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The New York Times reports a coffee brewer in Maine has lost its fight against President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“Our bean prices will be increasing within the next week,” posted Rock City Coffee chief executive Jessie Northgraves on Facebook.

Northgraves said her company had tried to keep prices stable, but they are now forced to raise prices on new, more expensive inventory coming in from offshore, courtesy of Trump’s additional tax on many imports. Trump vowed in July to impose a 50 percent tariff against Brazil, which directly goes to U.S. coffers, despite coffee brewers already having to pay more for beans due to droughts in Vietnam and Brazil.

Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently announced his giddiness at Trump’s tariffs generating $100 billion in new revenue, but it is U.S. businesses like Rock City Coffee that are paying that revenue. The Times reports small businesses in high competition markets, including coffee suppliers, have less cushion and are loathe to raise prices and discourage customers.

“I thought maybe it would be temporary,” said Northgraves. “We were kind of trying to ride it out the past few months, not change our prices and just kind of absorb it as much as we could.”

She told the Timers she had tried to ignore the president’s on-again/off-again tariff threats, but her profit margins kept slipping with the cost of beans doubling. Trump’s tariffs even hit the price of the company’s Chinese-sourced coffee bean packaging.

“We have been seriously hit by the tariffs in coffee-exporting countries, and must raise the prices of our beans,” she wrote in an accompanying Facebook post. “Please know that we wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t totally necessary.”

While compiling a script to explain the higher prices to customers, Northgraves took care to include the reason behind the hikes. She says linking them honestly to tariffs rather than “quietly” raising prices gives her customers a much deserved explanation.

“It just felt better to be upfront about it,” she told the Times.

50% increase in price of coffee beans plus higher tariffs on packaging sourced from China, all of which King Donald thinks will just somehow magically pay for itself!

https://www.alternet.org/trump-tariffs-coffee

Showbiz 411: Trump Epstein Fake Out: Says He Might Revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship (Which He Knows He Can’t Do)

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There’s nothing to quote, it’s all in the title. Our pathetic King Donald is making a royal ass of himself in front of 340 million Americans and assorted billions elsewhere.

Trump Epstein Fake Out: Says He Might Revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship (Which He Knows He Can’t Do) – Showbiz411
Trump is falling apart over Jeffrey Epstein. The presidency is falling apart as the FBI’s quacky leaders Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are threatening to quit over Pam Bondi’s announcement that no Epstein files exist. They existed a short time ago, of course, when binders were waved around reading “Epstein Files.” MAGA is furious because […]
Trump Epstein Fake Out: Says He Might Revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship (Which He Knows He Can’t Do)

Daily Mail: Walmart hit by ‘immediate crisis’ as mass firings begin

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Walmart employees are saying they’re losing coworkers overnight. The retailer, America’s largest private employer, is complying with a sweeping Supreme Court decision that allowed the Trump administration to revoke work protections for half a million migrant employees. Walmart staffers are saying the company is responding with quick staffing cuts in stores. They’re worried there aren’t enough workers.

‘Anyone else just lose a bunch of employees to Trump policy?’ a Redditor asked in a thread dedicated to Walmart. ‘[My store] just lost 10 employees who were here on work visa.’ Another claimed their store lost 40 staffers at a 400-worker store, representing 10 percent of the workforce. They said remaining employees are now scrambling to keep stores running. Some said their store is turning to elderly employees to fill the gap. ‘Most of our older floor associates are constantly asking for help,’ another added. ‘It’s not really ideal.’

Retail experts told DailyMail.com that the impact on consumers at affected stores is likely temporary and regional. ‘This disruption is real, but it’s more of a speed bump than a roadblock for a company that’s weathered much worse,’ Carol Spieckerman, a global retail expert, said. ‘This is just the latest curveball for Walmart — after navigating inflation , potential tariffs, and economic uncertainty, they’ve become experts at adaptation. The impact won’t be uniform. States closer to the border will feel this more acutely than stores in the heartland.’

‘Immediate crisis’ erupts at Walmart with mass worker firings
Walmart employees are saying they’re losing coworkers overnight.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/article-14799717/walmart-job-cuts-staff-panic-trump-immigration-orders.html

Channel News Asia: Why countries like China, Canada and the UK have issued new warnings about US travel

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China:

On Wednesday, China warned tourists to “fully assess the risks” before travelling to the US, after Beijing raised tariffs on American imports in retaliation for similar duties imposed by Trump.

“Due to the deterioration in China-US trade relations and the domestic security situation in the United States, (we) advise Chinese tourists to fully assess the risks before travelling to the US,” Beijing’s culture and tourism ministry said in a statement.

UK:

In March, the UK revised its advice for citizens travelling to the US to include a warning that anyone found breaking its entry rules could face arrest or detention.

The current British travel advice for the US, published online by Britain’s foreign office and most recently updated on Mar 14, states: “You should comply with all entry, visa and other conditions of entry. The authorities in the US set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”

At the beginning of February, the guidance had only stated: “The authorities in the US set and enforce entry rules.”

The foreign office declined to comment on the reason for the revision or confirm when exactly it took place. It said its travel advice was designed to help people make decisions and that the advice was constantly kept under review.

Earlier in the month, in response to reports that a woman had been detained in the US for more than 10 days over a possible breach of her visa conditions, the foreign office confirmed that it was providing support to a British national detained in the US.

The woman has since returned to Britain.

Germany:

Similarly, in March, Germany updated its US travel advisory to emphasise that a visa or entry waiver does not guarantee entry after several Germans were detained while entering the country.

Germany’s foreign ministry updated its travel advice website for the US on Mar 11 to clarify that neither approval through the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, system nor a US visa entitles entry in every case.

“The final decision on whether a person can enter the US lies with the US border authorities,” said a German foreign ministry spokesperson, who emphasised that the change did not constitute a travel warning.

Canada:

The Canadian government updated its US travel advisory on its website in March to say that those who plan to visit the US for more than 30 days “must be registered with the United States government”, NPR reported.

Those who did not do so could face “penalties fines, and misdemeanour prosecution”, the Canadian government said.

In early April, it updated its advisory again, adding a new paragraph about scrutiny at points of entry into the US, Canadian public broadcaster CBC reported.

This was done “quietly”, CBC said.

Part of the new paragraph reads: “Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities. If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation.”

CBC noted that US border agents had long had the power to ask to search travellers’ belongings and demand access to their electronic devices.

However, it reported that security had been stepped up at the US-Canada border, citing an immigration lawyer.

“There’s been much more heightened security and heightened investigations at the border,” the lawyer told the broadcaster.

Denmark, Finland, France, Germany:

In March, several European countries including Denmark, Finland, France and Germany suggested that transgender, non-binary and intersex people may face difficulties when trying to enter the US.

The Danish foreign ministry changed its US travel advisory to say that transgender people should contact the US embassy in the Nordic country before travelling to the United States.

“When applying for an ESTA or visa to the United States, there are two gender designations to choose from: Male or female,” the travel advisory stated on Mar 21.

“If you have the gender designation X in your passport, or you have changed your gender, it is recommended that you contact the US embassy prior to travel for guidance on how to proceed,” the ministry added.

The “X” gender marker is preferred by many non-binary people, who do not identify as strictly male or female.

While the travel advisory did not explicitly mention the Trump administration, it came only weeks after Trump signed an executive order calling for the US federal government to define sex as only male or female and for that to be reflected on official documents, such as passports, and in policies.

The US State Department has stopped issuing travel documents with the X gender marker.

The department also stopped allowing people to change the gender listed on their passports or get new ones that reflect their gender rather than their sex assigned at birth.

Finland also advised prospective US travellers on its foreign ministry homepage that if their “current gender as recorded in their passport differs from the gender they were assigned at birth, US authorities may deny (them) entry”.

“It is recommended that you check with US authorities in advance for entry requirements,” the ministry said.

France, meanwhile, modified its official advice to its nationals who are travelling to the United States, warning they must now state their gender assigned at birth in visa or ESTA applications.

In advice similar to that issued by Denmark, Germany told travellers who have the X gender entry in their passport or whose current gender entry differs from their gender entry at birth to contact a US diplomatic mission in Germany before they enter the country.

This is so that they can “find out the applicable entry requirements” for the US, the German foreign ministry said.

Why countries like China, Canada and the UK have issued new warnings about US travel
SINGAPORE: Several countries have issued new advice and warnings about travelling to the United States in recent weeks, with China joining in on Wednesday (Apr 9) by telling its citizens to “fully assess the risks” of visiting the US before they head there. Canada and European countries like the United Kin

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-travel-advisories-warnings-trump-china-canada-uk-immigration-tariffs-5059056

Daily Beast: Trump Sends Dollar Plunging With Plan to Turn Federal Reserve MAGA

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The president is looking for a new Fed chair who is “unstintingly loyal.”

The U.S. dollar plunged Thursday to a three-year low after word got out that President Donald Trump is plotting to announce a MAGA-friendly Federal Reserve chair as early as this summer.

Peeved at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s refusal to slash interest rates, Trump has unleashed blistering attacks against the banker, calling him the “WORST” and a “dummy” who is “costing America $Billions.”

Trump Crashes Dollar With Plan to Turn Federal Reserve MAGA
The president is looking for a new Fed chair who is “unstintingly loyal.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-sends-dollar-plunging-with-plan-to-turn-federal-reserve-maga

Raw Story: ‘Grandmother who won’t stop talking’: GOP aides say Stephen Miller won’t hang up

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Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security Advisor, just won’t get off the phone, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night that Trump 2.0 has Miller’s fingerprints all over it, with Miller “emerg[ing] as a singular figure in the second Trump administration, wielding more power than almost any other White House staffer in recent memory—and eager to circumvent legal limitations on his agenda.”

Miller has drafted or edited each of Trump’s signed executive orders, according to the report, giving him considerable influence over Trump’s second term. This comes after the president refused to give him a leading role at the Department of Homeland Security, reportedly telling aides he didn’t see Miller as leadership material, according to the report.

Also of note — Miller appears to be getting under the skin of GOP aides on Capitol Hill who say they can’t get him off the phone.

‘Grandmother who won’t stop talking’: GOP aides say Stephen Miller won’t hang up

https://www.rawstory.com/stephen-miller-2672408339

More here:

Stephen Miller Is Driving Congressional Aides Crazy With Non-Stop Calls
Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, is so involved in every aspect of the Trump administration’s efforts to radically reconfigure American democracy that congressional aides have reportedly begun complaining about his incessant phone calls. Ignoring the fact that his “outreach wasn’t always welcome,” Miller would call congressional aides for lengthy, aimless conversations about illegal immigration that contained no specific requests,…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ar-AA1H8sPE

And here:

Stephen Miller Driving Congressional Aides Crazy With Calls
A new report details just how far Miller’s reach is in the Trump administration.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/stephen-miller-is-driving-congressional-aides-crazy-with-non-stop-calls